Shot shell packing machine



1961 w. c. ASHBY SHOT sum. PACKING momma:

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1958 WILLIAM C. ASA/8K BYdLH Feb. 21, 1961 w. c. ASHBY SHOT SHELL PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-She'et 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1958 Haz L *6 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM C. 45/15) ATTORNEY W. C. ASHBY SHOT SHELL PACKING MACHINE Feb. 21, 1961 5 Sheets$heet 13 Filed Feb. 3, 1958 INVENT OR.

WILL/AM c. Asuar Feb. 21, 1961 Filed Feb. 5, 1958 1 TI M h W. C. ASHBY SHOT SHELL PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 8

F/GI 9 ILLIAM L. ASHBY ATTORNEY Feb. 21, 1961 w. c. ASHBY SHOT sum. PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 3, 1958 MLL/AM C. ASII/BY B 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent snor SHELL PACKING MACHINE William C. Ashby, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 712,982

'5 Claims. (Cl. 53-374) This invention relates to the field of rapidly and automatically closing cardboard or paper cartons by machine. The invention is directed more specifically toward improved closing of cartons, the closure of which is achieved by folding inner flaps from two opposite sides into interlocking overlapping relationship and then folding over a single outer flap from one of the other sides, which outer flap covers the entire carton end and tucks into the side of the carton opposite the side on which the same outer flap is folded or hinged.

A common name for the type side flap interlocking closure is the Arthur Loc This type closure is ordinarily used in boxes or cartons of relatively small size.

Since closures of this type have been ordinarily completed by hand in the past by one or more persons at one or more stages in the carton handling operation, it is an object of this invention to accomplish automatic and more rapid closure of large numbers of each carton per unit time by a new and improved machine or apparatus. This will result in faster and more economical carton handling with benefits to both the consumer and producer.

The foregoing object and other advantages are achieved by this invention as will be fully apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a partial side elevation of the machine showing the main features of the invention with certain parts broken away to more clearly show the functioning and cooperation of the component parts.

Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the machine taken from a position indicated at 2'2 of Fig. 1, showing the main features of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical view showing the interior of the two plough elements as they appear on the machine, which elements are responsible for folding the side flaps inwardly and interlocking them.

Fig. 4 is a vertical side view of the outer flap closing plough element taken from line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical side view of the other, or inner flap closing plough element, taken from line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the side of the machine shown in Fig. l, partly in section to show more clearly the mechanism for closing and tucking in of the outer end flap of the carton.

Fig. 7 is a partial horizontal sectional view of the machine, taken on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a pictorial representation of a side View of a carton showing a series of progressive stages of flap closure 'as the box moves from its initial position on the machine to its terminal or take-ofi position.

Fig. 9 is a pictorial representation of a carton as it progresses from the bottom posit-ion on the machine to the terminal position at the top of the machine, as viewed from the front of the machine at line 9 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 is a schematic showing of the wheel member, major component of the machine, showing the carton flap position with relation to the position of the carton on the wheel.

2,972,217 Patented Feb. 21, 1961 Fig. 11 is a perspective schematic of the wheel member to show the paths of travel of the cartons and cartridges during operation of the machine.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the carton of the type handled by the machine of this invention.

Fig. 13 shows a series of cross-sectional views of one of the plough elements together with a schematic showing of corresponding side flap positions.

Fig. 14 shows a series of cross-sectional views of the other plough element together with a schematic showing of corresponding side flap positions.

The basic unit of the pr ferred embodiment of the machine which carries out the steps of closing and tucking the closure flaps, is a rotary wheel member 1 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis. The wheel member is provided with a number of recesses 2 or carton-carrying pockets spaced about the periphery of the wheel and extending radially inward from the peripheral surface. At one position A in the rotational movement of the wheel, empty cartons 3 with the bottom closed are inserted into the pockets in the wheel with their open ends facing radially outward for movement to another position B, where the objects or material which fills the cartons is loaded or inserted into the cartons. Thereafter, the full cartons are moved through a zone or series of positions at which the inner side flaps are folded and interlocked, and the outer end flap is folded into position with its end tucked into holding relationship to complete the closure. Since the preceding steps take place at the underside of the wheel member, suitable means are provided to hold the carton contents in the carton. The last position C in the sequence of operations about the wheel is one at which the loaded and closed cartons are removed from the pockets automatically and moved toward a further packing operation into larger containers.

The invention here is most directly concerned with the structure of the carton closing mechanism and with the operations performed by it on the cartons immediately after the open cartons are inserted into the wheel and before they are removed from the wheel member in their closed condition.

Wheel structure has previously been used as a carton carrier in the loading or filling of cartons. However, there are particular advantages to be gained by accomplishing the carton closing operation while the cartons are being moved from position to position by the loading wheel, savings in time and space being examples of such advantages. It appears possible that the carton closing operations and structure contemplated by this invention could be applied readily to a straight line or single plane operation, if desired.

The type carton closure involved is that type which consists of three flaps at the end of the carton which are, to a certain extent, extensions of three of the four carton side walls. Two closure flaps are folded in from opposite sides of the carton and are interlocked by means of the special configuration of the flaps which includes an interengaging slit or slit on each. These two flaps constitute a partial inner end closure. The complete outer closure which cooperates with these two fiaps consists of one larger flap which folds from the third side at right angles to the interlocking flaps, and tucks along the fourth side between the inner carton edge and the side edges of the interlocking flaps covering the entire end of the carton. The entire operation is completed in two stages. The first stage involves substantially simultaneously folding the interlocking side flaps from their open positions along the outer side surfaces of the carton through angles of approximately 270 to the position in which they take part inclosing off the open end of the carton. During the tidal angular movement of these side flaps they are ,3 interlocked in a manner to be later described. The second stage consists of folding over and tucking in of the outer end flap from the third side of the carton which completes .the closure of the carton.

' Essentially, the machine of this invention in its pre: 'ferred embodiment consists of a pocketed wheel I mounted in a vertical plane for rotation about a shaft with a horizontal axis. The shaft 10 is journaled in fixed frame structural element 11 of the machine. The wheel is driven in a step-by-step manner by suitable conventional power drive means shown schematically in Fig. 2.

Also mounted on the fixed frame is a plough or guide element 4 which positions the side flaps of the carton flat against the carton sides so that the cartridges may be thrustnpwardly into the pocket of the wheel at position marked B without interference. Mounted on the front of the machine frame are two additional plough or guide elements 5a and 5b. These latter plough'elements fold the side flaps over the end of the box and interlock them. A curved shoe member 14 is attached to the ploughs 5a and 5b to hold the cartridges in the carton as they move beneath ploughs 5a and 5b during the side flap closing operation.

At an upper position with respect to the wheel 1 is a fixed housing in which is positioned a curved cylindrical guide surface 8 and on which are mounted two U-shaped pivoted arms 6 and 7 which are connected by link 9. The arms 6 and 7 are actuated through a suitable linkage not shown which is driven by the above-mentioned power drive means.

At position B is located a compartment formed by fixed side walls 42 and a vertically movable bottom 45. The movable member 45 is reciprocated in timed relation to wheel rotation by the power drive means mentioned previously to move a group of cartridges, which have been positioned in the compartment, upwardly into the carton 3 in the wheel pocket 2. Simultaneously with the movement of the member 45 a ram 30 is moved upwardly on a shorter stroke and carries another vertically reciprocating blade element 31 which engages and presses a crease line on the outer end flap into a groove 32 on the wheel periphery to form the required crease or fold of the tuck-in portion thereof (see Fig. l). A reciprocating plunger element shown in dotted lines as 47' in Fig. 1 moves the filled and closed cartons in an axial direction with respect to the wheel to remove them from the wheel on a shelf-like member shown schematically at 48 in Fig. 11. 7

Referring to the first stage of the machine operation, it is the practice of this invention to provide means for holding the side or inner flaps flat against the outer sides of the carton during the filling operation. In this case, since the carton carrying wheel is the same thickness as the carton width positioned in the wheel pocket and which is the carton dimension across which the side flaps are folded and interlocked, these side flaps are held back against the outer side surfaces of the carton by a set of two fixed plane cam surfaces 4 positioned parallel to the plane of the wheel on each side of the wheel and immediately adjacent thereto to engage the side flaps during the desired position of the wheel rotation. After the carton filling operation is completed the wheel moves the filled carton beyond the area of the first fixed cam surfaces 4 which engaged the side flaps and to the next position in which the moving carton side flaps are each engaged almost simultaneously by a second set of cam surfaces 5a and 5b positioned on each side of the wheel 1. As previously mentioned, the cartridges are held in the carton by curved plate 14. As thecarton is moved through a given are by rotation of the wheel, the second set of cams 5 moves the side flaps about their hinge or fold line from their initial position along the outside of the carton through about 270 to their final position across the end of the carton where they lie interlockedin clos- 4. ing relation thereto. The general cooperation of cams 5 and side flaps is shown in Figs. 13 and 14. As both side flaps partake of this folding or rotational movement about the fold or hinge axis, one is moved through its movement slightly ahead of the other tirnewise. Just before the last or lagging flap reaches the end of its movement under the influence of the cam, it is retarded by engagement with the inturned lip shown in Fig. 13 (sections g, f, e, d, c and b) with the resultant deflection 0f the swinging end of the side flap in a direction lying in the plane of the flap and at an angle of about 45 to the hinge portion or axis of this flap. The arrows (Figs. 3 and 13) A A A and-B indicate the general direc tion of the forces exerted on the lagging side flap. The deflection of the swinging end of the flap causes a distortion within the elastic limits of the flap material, which distortion aligns the interlocking portions of the When the deflection or distorting force is released by the change in cam configuration illustrated in section a, Fig. 13, the interlocking portions of the distorted flap snap into locking engagement with those of the other flap. Cam pressure is exerted on both flaps by the tip end of the cam 5b to insure that a flat end closure of the inner flaps is obtained.

The final closure of the end flap is performed by structure mounted on a supporting bracket 25 adjacent the pocketed wheel 1 in a position where the pockets in the wheel pause sequentially while empty cartons are inserted at position A, shells inserted in cartons at position B, and closed cartons ejected at position C. Since all of these operations take place together, the respective operators are coupled together and to conventional power drive means as shown schematically in Fig. 2. An oscillating axle 26 is coupled to the power drive and provided with means to carry the flap closing gate 6 pinned thereto so that oscillation of axle 26 causes gate 6 to swing through an are indicated in Fig. 6 and return to its posi tion of rest as indicated. A pivot 28 on gate 6 and link 9 engaging a pivot 29 on gate 7 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 6) provide for oscillating the gate 7 on axle 27. Referring particularly to Fig. 6, as the gate 6 swings outwardly and up, the gate 7 will swing outwardly until the centers of 26, 28 and 29 are in line, after which further movement of gate 6 causes gate 7 to swing inwardly along the circular path indicated in Fig. 6 tangential to the outer periphery of the pocketed wheel 1. The sequence of advancing and retracting movement of gates 6 and 7 is performed as each pocket in the wheel pauses temporarily after the side flaps have been interlocked.

The outer end flap, before being closed, is positioned at about to the carton wall, lying against the outer surface of the wheel element as it rotates. This flap is folded and tucked into its final closure position by means of two swinging gate members 6.and 7 and a fixed curved guide surface 8. In order to close the outer flap the carton is halted in a given position at which the curved guide surface 8, of configuration corresponding to one quadrant of a circular cylinder, is located directly in alignment with the carton side wall opposite the side wall at which the outer end flap is hinged or folded. The guide surface 8 is so positioned that it would in effect he an extension of this carton side wall if extended and, as it proceeds away from the edge of the side wall, it curves through a gradual arc until it has changed direction about 90, at which point it is then perpendicular to the plane of the other carton side wall extended and there terminates in a line which would be the intersection of the extended plane of the other carton wall. Cooperating with this curved guide surface is a swinging gate member 6, the outer swinging portion of which follows closely the curvedguide surface. The pivot axis of the swinging gate member and the axis of the curved guide section are substantially the same and lie roughly in the periphery of the wheel and parallel to the wheel axis. It is to be noted that the outer end flap has been held in the open position against the periphery of the wheel element by the curved shoe member 14 which terminates just under the gate member 6 to permit the outer end flap, with its precreased tip as formed by the blade 31, to swing outwardly in front of the gate member 6. The function of this swinging gate member is to engage the outer carton end flap in an initial position shown in broken lines at reference character P in Fig. 6 at which the flap is adjacent the periphery of the wheel and is about 180 around its hinge axis from the closed position. The fiap is moved by the gate member about the flap hinge section towardsthe closed position across the end of the carton. It is to be noted that the flap consists of a portion equal in size to the end of the carton and an extension thereof which is the tongue portion which is folded over and tucked into the other side of the box between the carton side edge and the inner side flap edges. As the outer end flap is pivoted into position, it is controlled by the gate member 6 laterally abutting it and by the curved cam surface 8 acting upon the end of the flap. Since the radius arm or length of the outer flap is longer than the radius of curvature of the curved surface by the extra length of the tuck-in tongue, the flap will be bulged or buckled outwardly toward the gate member 6. At the point where the outer edge of the flap is about to reach the opposite edge of the carton, a second swinging gate member 7 engages the flap to force the tongue extension of the flap down into the carton to complete the closure. The second swinging gate member swings about an axis which is parallel to the wheel axis, the axis of the first swinging gate member, and is spaced from the periphery of the wheel radially outward from the wheel periphery and the hinge portion of the outer end flap of the carton in the final flap closing position. This gate member 7 is of a radial length greater than the width of the carton and moves in a curved path that is tangent to the plane of the end of the carton along the line of the hinge or fold edge of the outer end flap. As previously described, as the outer flap is being folded over by the first swinging gate member 6, during which movement its outer edge is being limited and guided by the curved cam surface 8, the length of the tuck-in tongue at the outer end of the outer flap causes the flap to bulge or buckle in a direction opposite to its pivotal movement with the gate member. At the position where the edge of the tuck-in tongue of the outer flap is adjacent the opposite side of the carton, having been guided by the curved surface and moved by the gate member, the second swinging gate member 7 pivots toward the carton and tangentially moves across the carton top from the outer flap hinge edge toward the outer tuck-in tongue edge. As it does so, it engages the buckled or bowed flap and forces it down fiat, which also forces the tuck-in tongue down into the carton under the guiding influence of the curved guide surface. This completes the carton closure. The swinging gate members move back to their initial positions and the wheel moves the carton to the next position where a transverse cam member moves the filled and closed carton ofi the wheel to the next location for further handling.

It can be understood that the principles of this invention can be applied beneficially to the packing of items other than cartridges and to the closure of cartons of many sizes using the same general flap configuration.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for closing cartons having, at the open end thereof, two inner interengaging side flaps and an outer end flap with a tuck-in end portion at the end thereof, comprising in combination frame structural means, first movable means mounted on said frame structural means, for supporting and positioning cartons, first fixed guide means mounted adjacent said movable means for pivotally folding the inner side flaps in sequence into overlapping relationship across the end of the carton, said guide means comprising flap manipulating means for distorting one inner side flap in the plane of the flap at an acute angle to the flap hinge to bring the interengaging portion of the flap into alignment with similar interengaging portions of the other side flap and further comprising means releasing the lateral distortion of the said one inner side flap so that the elastic return of the distorted flap to its normal configuration engages the interengaging portions of the inner side flaps in locking relation, second movable means mounted on said frame structural means for pivotally folding the outer end flap into position across the end of the carton, second guide means cooperating with said preceding second movable means for restraining the longitudinal radial movement of the pivotally folded outer end flap to produce a bow in the flap in a direction opposite to the pivotal movement of the said flap, third movable means mounted on said frame structural means for progressively flattening the bowed portion of the outer flap from the hinged end thereof toward the restrained outer end of said flap to help force the said tuck-in tongue end thereof inside the carton edge and crease the hinge fold of said flap to complete the closure, and power drive means engaged with said first, second, and third movable means for timed intermittent actuation thereof.

2. Apparatus for closing cartons of the type having at an open end thereof two inner interengaging side flaps and an outer end flap with a tuck-in end portion at the end thereof, comprising in combination fixed frame structure, a first movable means mounted in said frame structure for supporting and moving cartons through a flap manipulating and carton closing zone, first guide means adjacent said first movable means for closing carton side flaps into overlapping interengaging relationship across the end of a carton as said carton is moved through said zone, second movable means mounted adjacent said first movable means for closing said outer end flap into closed position across the end of said carton and tucking in saId tuck-in end portion thereof, and power drive means drivingly engaged with said first movable means and said second movable means.

3. Apparatus for closing cartons of the type having at an open end thereof two inner interlocking side flap and an outer end flap with a tuck-in portion at the outer end thereof, comprising power driven movable means for continuously sequentially moving a series of cartons through a given path fixed guide means mounted adjacent said movable means for pivotally folding the inner side flaps in sequence into overlapping relationship across the end of the carton, said guide means comprising flap manipulating means for distorting one inner side flap in the plane of the flap at an acute angle to the flap hinge to bring the interengaging portion of the flap into alignment with similar interengagjng portions of the other side flap and further comprising means releasing the lateral distortion of the said one inner side flap so that the elastic return of the distorted flap to its normal configuration engages the interengaging portions of the inner side flaps in locking relation, and an outer end flap closing mechanism adjacent said power driven movable means comprising a fixed guide surface cooperating with movable outer flap engaging means to move said carton outer end flap into closed position across the end of said carton with said tuck-in portion inserted in position in the carton, and means for removing said closed cartons from said power driven movable means.

4. In a machine for closing cartons of the type having at an open end thereof two interlocking side flaps and an outer end flap for closing the open end, a power driven conveyor means for moving a series of aligned cartons through a given path fixed guide means mounted adjacent said movable means for pivotally folding the inner side flaps in sequence into overlapping relationship across the end of the carton, said guide means comprising flap manipulating means for distorting one inner side flap in the plane of the flap at an acute angle to the flap hinge to bring the interengaging portion of the flap into alignment with similar interengaging portions of the other side flag and further comprising means releasing the lateral distortion of the said one inner side flap so that the elastic return of the distorted flap to its normal configuration engages the interengaging portions of the inner side flaps in locking relation, and outer flap closing means mounted adjacent said conveyor means and said guide means to complete the closure.

5. In a cartridge packing and carton closing machine for handling cartons of the type having at at least one end thereof two inner interlocking side flaps and an outer end flap with a tuck-in portion at its outer end, a frame structure, a power driven wheel member provided with carton receiving pockets rotatably mounted in said frame structure to continuously convey a series of cartons through a carton loading zone and a carton closing zone, carton side flap closing and interlocking means mounted on said frame structure adjacent the said wheel member and said carton closing zone, carton and flap closing mechanism mounted adjacent said wheel member in said carton closing zone, means for loading a group of cartridges into said cartons on said wheel in said loading zone, means mounted on said frame to prevent exit of cartridges from said cartons during carton movement through said closing zone, and means mounted on said frame structure adjacent said carton closing zone for removing said cartons from said wheel after said cartons have passed through said loading and carton closing zones.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,340,835 Malhiot Feb. 1, 1944 2,426,484 Buftenbarger Aug. 26, 1947 2,441,410 Guyer Mayll, 194s FOREIGN PATENTS 1,133,107 France Mar. 21, 1957 

